Villa Montezuma is a Queen Anne style mansion in the Sherman Heights neighborhood of

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, California, that was added to the

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in 1971.

Jesse Shepard residence

The home was built in 1887 for Jesse Shepard, who lived there for about a year before relocating to

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, then sold it in late 1889. John Mallon's Pacific American Decorative Company made windows for the mansion.

Friends of Villa Montezuma

In 1969, five members of what is now known as the

San Diego History Center The San Diego History Center is a museum in Balboa Park in San Diego, California, dedicated to the history of San Diego. Description and history Founded in 1928 by businessman and civic leader George W. Marston, the San Diego Historical Soci ...

began work to arrange for the city's purchase of the house for use as a museum and cultural center. After opening for such purpose on November 12, 1972, a volunteer organization known as the Friends of Villa Montezuma (FOVZ) continued for the next four decades to maintain the property as a house museum. Hundreds of weddings were held at the museum over that time, providing a steady source of revenue for the historical society. An accidental fire in March 1986 went through the second floor and destroyed over half of the roof, though a restored museum opened again in late June 1987 in time for the house's 100th anniversary. Amid an economic downturn and building foundation safety concerns, the museum closed to the public in 2006 and the FOVZ centered on raising funds for a much needed restoration, incorporating that year as an independent

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Tours

From 2015 through 2020, to satisfy requirements of a federal CDBG grant that was used to restore the foundation, roof, and chimneys, the museum was open four mornings a year for free interior tours, approximately quarterly, with visitor registration via the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department. As of October 2021, the museum reopened for regular paid tours.

References

External links

Official site

San Diego Citywide LGBTQ Historic Context Statement
pages 15, 99–100, 109
Description by Waldemar Tonner
who lived in the home with Shepard 1887 establishments in California Houses in San Diego National Register of Historic Places in San Diego Queen Anne architecture in California {{California-struct-stub